THE BEER NUT: Taste-testing the Samuel Adams summer variety pack

This week I am taking a look at the new Samuel Adams mixed summer pack, new beers from Smuttynose and Barrel Houze Z and, finally, a preview of what looks to be an awesome beer event.

First up is the new Samuel Adams American Summer Variety Pack. As always, it features Samuel Adams Boston Lager and the Sam Summer Ale. Joining it this year is the Tropic of Yuzu, Berliner Weiss, Golden Hour and Hefeweizen.

The folks at Samuel Adams sent me the pack to sample, and here are my thoughts:

Let’s start with the good. The Golden Hour is an excellent Helles lager. At 5 percent alcohol by volume, this is a classic take on the style – spicy hops with a light biscuit/bready flavor from the malt. It is by far the best beer in the pack, and I would buy lots of it if they put this out as a six-pack.

Now for the mediocre. Both the Hefeweizen and the Tropic of Yuzu leave something to be desired. They are not bad beers, but neither will make someone rush out and buy a second mixed pack.

The Hefeweizen is OK. I’ve had worse, I’ve had better. It’s middle of the road. The Tropic of Yuzo is a wheat ale brewed with a Japanese fruit called yuzu. I’ve never had yuzu, but I found the flavor to be overly bitter – more bitter than grapefruit. It wasn’t for me.

And now for the bad. The new Berliner Weiss just doesn’t taste like what a Berliner weiss should. There really almost no tartness. It just kind of tasted like … nothing. It tasted more like a wheat beer with hints of an off flavor.

The Samuel Adams American Summer Variety Pack is available now through August.

Notch Brewery & Taproom in Salem is hosting what looks to be a fantastic beer event on June 11, their first Polish Festival.

The event, which runs from noon to 4 p.m. at the 283R Derby St. brewery, will feature beers brewed specifically for the event, including a Polish Lager and Grodziskie. They will also serve gravity cask of the Polish Lager in 1-liter ceramic mugs you get to keep.

Along with beer, there will be Polish food, including pierogi, kielbasa and sauerkraut. The Polish Pickle Packer’s Polka Band will entertain guests.

Smuttynose Brewing Company of Hampton, New Hampshire, is debuting its new beer this summer – the Summer IPA.

The 5 percent ABV IPA is brewed with Zeus, Citra, Saphir and Amarillo hops that will give the beer tropical fruit flavors.

“We wanted to make an IPA that’s perfect for a summer day, and we think we nailed it,” said Smuttynose founder Peter Egelston. “It’s got all the hoppiness and bite of a classic IPA, and it’s perfect for a day by the pool or on the beach.”

And finally, on Thursday Barrel Houze Z will debut a new beer it brewed for the Black Ale Project. The Black Ale Project asks breweries to brew a dark beer to benefit a veterans charity of the brewery’s choice.

The new beer is called Colors, an amber lager that was aged for one month in Tequila barrels. Proceeds from the sale will be donated to Home Base, a program that assists veterans and their families dealing with the mental and physical issues they suffer from their service time.

Norman Miller is a Daily News staff writer. Email him at nmiller@wickedlocal.com or call 508-626-3823. Check out the Beer Nut blog at http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/section/blogs01?taxid=646&start=2. Follow him on Twitter @RealBeerNut and on Facebook at facebook.com/NormanMillerBeerNut